Ocean City faces lawsuit after threatening church for hosting homeless shelter
A Maryland church is gearing up to sue Ocean City officials for threatening to impose thousands of dollars in fines for hosting an indoor homeless shelter.
St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church of Ocean City will soon file the lawsuit in federal court, according to the Rev. Jill Williams, rector and spokesperson of the congregation.
Willaims told The Christian Post on Friday morning that she and congregants “do not view this as a zoning issue,” but rather as “a matter of religious freedom and our ability to live out our faith.”
“Our shelter ministry is a direct expression of our understanding of the Gospel and Christ’s command in Matthew 25, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,’” Williams said.
“The church believes that federal protections, including the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), protect our ability to carry out this ministry. Because of that, legal action has become necessary.”
Robin R. Cockey, attorney for the church, wrote to city officials stating that “[p]roviding shelter for the homeless is a fundamental tenet of the social gospel espoused by the Episcopal Church.”
“Sheltering those who have nowhere else to go is not separate from our faith — it is an expression of our faith and a ministry we believe Christ calls us to undertake,” Williams said.
In March, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea drew backlash from local officials for allowing homeless individuals to set up an outdoor tent encampment on its property, violating a local ordinance.
City Manager Terence McGean told CP at the time that local officials “recognize the sensitivity of this situation and the complexity of supporting individuals experiencing homelessness.”
“While the tents currently on the property do not comply with existing zoning ordinances, Ocean City is committed to balancing compassion with compliance,” he said. “We respect the intent behind the church’s actions; however, the town cannot simply ignore ongoing violations of our laws.”
McGean said officials “have not told them to remove the homeless from their property,” only the tents, as they were “working to ensure that support happens safely and within the law.”
Later that month, the church moved its homeless shelter indoors, hiring staff to operate it from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every evening. ET as a ministry called “The Shelter by the Sea.”
“The Shelter by the Sea” not only provides overnight beds but also offers resources, such as affordable housing assistance and substance abuse programs, for homeless guests.
Last month, Ocean City issued multiple citations to the church, threatening to fine the congregation $1,000 per day, claiming that the shelter does not comply with zoning laws.
The church provided CP with a copy of one of the citations alleging an unlawful setup of “barracks-style living quarters” within its zoning district.
The citation ordered the church to immediately halt the overnight shelter operations by June 8, or face “the issuance of municipal infractions and further enforcement action,” with each day that the church defies the orders being “considered a separate offense.”
